ABOUT US

Q1. What is Support Circle and what kinds of services do you provide?

A1. Support Circle is a medical clinic dedicated to providing time, space and support to women in unintended pregnancies. We offer women a safe place to make an informed decision about their pregnancy. Our team of professional nurses and caring patient advocates listen and provide non-judgmental emotional support and access to community resources before and after the pregnancy decision. Patients love our relational approach built on respect, trust and confidentiality. We honor women as decision-makers and do not pressure or manipulate clients.

Our services include pregnancy testing and verification, ultrasounds, emotional support, community referrals, symptom relief, nutrition and patient education. Support Circle does not perform or refer for abortion. Women may receive our services regardless of what her decision was. Support Circle is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and all of our services are free of charge. We do not profit from any particular pregnancy outcome chosen by patients.

At Support Circle, we are creating a beautiful community that goes the distance with women, men and their babies.

Emotional Care – Including patient advocates trained to help women relieve emotional pressures such as depression and anxiety. Support Circle provides the emotional support women deserve to make their own decision, in line with their own beliefs and values. We also offer emotional support for women and their male partner.

Practical Care – Including insurance information, referrals and community resources.

Q3. How much does Support Circle charge its patients? How do you receive your funding?

A3. Our services are free of charge. These services are made possible by financial donations from local residents and other friends who believe that women should have a safe place to go that doesn’t profit from either outcome of their pregnancy decision. We do not receive government funding.

Q4. By what values does Support Circle operate?

A4. Patient Well-Being
In all aspects of our services, we seek the well-being of our patient. Our patient is not a transaction and she is not a decision. She is a person. She has values, plans, friends, family, fears, a personality, hopes and dreams.

Respectful
We understand that people of goodwill are on both sides of the political aisle in the debates about unintended pregnancies. We also recognize that people on both sides of the issue have concerns on their mind that are paramount. For pro-life advocates it is the life of the unborn child. For pro-choice advocates it is the respect and dignity of the woman. Support Circle invites people of goodwill on both sides into something greater: being generous in giving time, space and support to the woman who is at the center of the debate… the woman in an unintended pregnancy. And we operate with an ethic of deference so that it does not violate those paramount concerns. This means that Support Circle does not perform or refer for abortion, and at the same time we honor women as decision-makers and do not pressure or manipulate clients. All services are completely without charge and Support Circle does not profit from any particular pregnancy outcome chosen by patients.

Non-Political
Support Circle does not engage in political activity. Our focus is on direct services to patients, providing high-quality medical, counseling and practical care.

Excellence
Half of all pregnancies in America are unplanned. Many of these women are unsure of what to do. With the incidence of unplanned pregnancy that high, our patient is figuratively and literally our sister, our daughter, our friend. For this reason, Support Circle is committed to the utmost quality in our services, a place where we would be comfortable bringing our own sister, daughter or friend.

Christ-Centered
Support Circle is a faith-based organization motivated by the love of Christ. We serve patients regardless of their race, religion, age, gender, political views or other distinctions. We also invite supporters from different backgrounds to further this work together with us.

Q5.Does Support Circle honor a woman’s right to choose?

A5. Yes. Women make this choice every day. We honor the patients we serve as decision makers. And we always extend ongoing emotional support for the coming year, through a team of patient advocates, no matter what choice she makes. In America’s top cities, 3 times MORE women end up aborting their pregnancies than initially intended to. If you gravitate more toward the pro-choice side of the spectrum, you should be disturbed by this statistic because it means that American women are not receiving genuine opportunities for true choices. If you gravitate more toward the pro-life side of the spectrum, you should be appalled at the high incidence of abortion. And all of us, no matter where you are on the pro-life/pro-choice spectrum, should be disturbed that the woman who was unsure did not have the opportunity to have her needs met, so she could become sure of what she wanted to do. Women deserve that opportunity. For over 30 years, our experienced staff members have provided patients with a genuine opportunity to receive critical medical information, and process their thoughts and feelings in a non-pressured environment.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Paul Sluis, Esq.

Chairman

Paul has been a Director since 1992, and served as General Counsel for many of those years as a California attorney in good standing since admission to the Bar in 1981. He is the current Board Chairman and lives in Oakland. Having worked in a general practice for 8 years and worked 17 years in the Office of the General Counsel at AC Transit, Paul has retired from maintaining a regular law practice.

Support Circle

Nancy Cecconi

Nancy Cecconi joined the board in 2014. She is a registered nurse, who graduated from Mt. St. Mary’s College in Los Angeles with a BSN in 1975. Her fields of nursing include pediatrics and OB. She is also a board member of FACE (Family Aid-Catholic Education) for the Diocese of Oakland, and the Coalition of Concerned Medical Professionals based in Oakland. She is a member of the Order of Malta. Nancy and her husband John reside in Piedmont. They are the parents of three grown children.

Support Circle

Yvonne Koenigsberg

Yvonne is Manager of Talent Management at Slalom Consulting. She attended University of California, Berkeley - Walter A. Haas School of Business and is a Gallup Strengthsfinder Coach and CTI Trained Executive Coach. She lives in Lafayette with her husband, Alan and their three children. She joined the board this year and is a member of Moraga Valley Presbyterian.

Support Circle

Albert Lee

CEO

Albert was appointed the Executive Director in 2014, having served as its Director of Development since 2007. Prior to serving in the non-profit sector, Albert comes from a background in marketing, sales and management consulting at various Bay Area businesses and organizations. He received his B.A. from UC Berkeley and resides with his wife and five children in Alameda.

Support Circle

Glenn Miller, CPA

Glenn Miller joined the board in 2014. He is a Certified Public Accountant in practice since 1976. He is also a board member for Logoi.org ministries. He was a founding Director of Bank of Livermore. He and his wife Linda live in Castro Valley, and have two biological adult children and two adopted children from Chile. For ten years they served as “critical care” foster parents for Alameda County, assisting approximately 20 children during that time.

Support Circle

Phil Scatena

Treasurer, Finance Committee Chair

Phil has worked since 1975 primarily with Franklin Templeton Investments in various roles including controller and director of finance. He resides in San Carlos.

Support Circle

Tom Schoellhammer

Tom was born and raised in Santa Monica, California, and earned his PhD in Computer Science from UCLA. He has worked for Google and Cisco as a software engineer and researcher. Tom is a parishioner of Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church and Shrine in Santa Clara, California.

Support Circle

Rev. Sam Shafer

Rev. Sam Shafer is the former Executive Director of Friends in Transition, an organization providing mentor training for volunteers matched with prison inmates transitioning back to the community. He holds a BA degree in Economics, Political Science, and Psychology from the University of Colorado, and a Master of Divinity from the Iliff School of Theology. He resides in Oakland.

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Summary

User Rating

5 based on 3 votes

Service Type

Medical clinic and counseling center - pregnancy

Provider Name

Support Circle,

Area

Bay Area - San Francisco, Oakland and Redwood City

Description

Support Circle is a medical clinic dedicated to providing time, space and support to women in unintended pregnancies. Our focus is on helping women make healthy, well-informed choices in line with their own beliefs and values.